


Reward

by thewolfinthepolicebox



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Pete's World, Pete's World Torchwood, Romance, Tenth Doctor Era, Timey-Wimey
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-21
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-01-20 07:50:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1502549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewolfinthepolicebox/pseuds/thewolfinthepolicebox
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set during and after The End of Time. Rose and the Meta-Crisis Doctor are finally adjusting to their life together in Pete’s World, but unforeseen circumstances may pull them apart. Back in the Doctor’s World, the Tenth Doctor is regenerating, but may be given one last chance to get his Reward.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi y'all! This is my very first fanfic ever, so reviews are much appreciated! This is completely unbeta'd, so there will probably be some spelling or grammar errors. Feel free to point those out in reviews and I'll be more than happy to fix those! Thanks so much! I'm on ff,net and tumblr as well, under the name the-wolf-in-the-police-box. I may post updates or information about updates there before I do here! Anyway, enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters.

Eight months had passed since the Meta-Crisis Doctor and Rose Tyler stood on Bad Wolf Bay and watched the Doctor dematerialize out of their lives forever. Eight months had gone by since Rose broke down crying on the same damn beach she had cried on all those years ago when her Doctor vanished from her life the first time, the same damn beach that she thought she would never have to return to once she found him. Still, life went on, and the world continued to turn, however slowly, with Rose Tyler coming to terms with her new reality.

The Meta-Crisis Doctor, now called "Dr. John Noble" legally, was now working along alongside Rose as the Director of Science for Torchwood. He and Rose had slowly begun to rekindle their relationship over the past three months, as the first five months consisted of Rose freezing out the Doctor, as well as Pete and the Torchwood team working to help assimilate the Doctor into the new world. Eventually Rose had begun talking to him again, which proved to be quite helpful, considering the status as co-worker. Now he and Rose were beginning to talk and laugh as they did before their separation at Canary Warf, something that left the Doctor quite pleased. He couldn't help but notice that the improvement in their relationship helped to encourage the small piece of TARDIS coral to grow faster, which also pleased him.

Over the last eight months, when not trying to improve his relationship with Rose or grow the TARDIS in Earth soil ("It's amazing you humans can grow anything in this stuff," he would say, "Remind me to bring you Tylers some soil from Frellian XII's Jungle Biome once this thing is grown. Best soil you'll ever garden with."), the Doctor spent a fair amount his time using Torchwood's remarkably advanced medical center to learn about his new half-Human biology. Particularly, today he was trying to figure out the cause of some agonizing headaches he had been experiencing several times a week.

"Doctor, I know you're not used to Human illnesses because of your old 'Superior Time Lord Biology,'" Rose said, sitting on the counter in one of the rooms in the medical center as the Doctor was waiting for the results of some sort of computer scan to print, "However, we humans get migraines sometimes, and I don't think they're worth getting in a panic over."

"I know that Rose, but there's something that could happen, related to being part human, but with a Time-Lord mind. But don't you worry Rose it's highly unlikely. Well, I say highly unlikely..." He trailed off and continued to peer at the computer screens through his "Brainy Specs", as he called them.

"You said that, yeah, but it would be really helpful if you told me what exactly you were worried about, yeah? I think I have the right to know if you're in any sort of danger."

"Rose, there's nothing you need to know until we're one hundred percent certain I'm in any kind of danger. I'll probably be fine, I still have plenty of Time Lord in me, that should help combat any sort of trouble."

"Yeah? Doctor, I know you, and I know we wouldn't be here if you didn't think there would be trouble. Look, I spent three years searching for the oth-" Rose paused for a second, " searching for you all over the multiverse, yeah? So I'm not about to let you go and get hurt because you're to damn stubborn to tell me what you think could be happening."

Just as the words left Rose's mouth, the results of the tests began to print. She went to pick them up before the Doctor, but he was too fast and grabbed them right from under her hand. He gave her a stern look, one she had grown very familiar with. "Don't," he warned, "You wouldn't even understand it if you did read it." Then his expression softened into a grin. "Besides, whatever these papers say, everything will be fine. We'll be fine." He looked down and began to read the confusing symbols and markings on the paper. "Everything normal so far, no fluctuations in heart rate, all the synapses firing properly, that's brilliant!" He continued to read and his face fell, just for a second, but he quickly put on a smile again. "Everything is great! No trouble, I was wrong. Everything is perfect. Molto Bene! Anyway, are you hungry? I'm famished. You want Chinese? I could do with a bit of-"

"Doctor, you're covering something up, I see it in your face, now what is it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing. Just has to do with what I told you about Donna. Well, a bit like what I told you about Donna, but not exactly. But it's nothing to worry about. Now common, Chinese." He went to grab his keys but realized Rose already had them.

"No, Doctor, you're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Rose looked determined, and he faltered for a moment. He hadn't meant for this to happen. He hadn't even known this could happen, and he was sure the other him hadn't thought it could either, or he wouldn't have left Rose here. "Now, what d'ya mean, it's a bit like what you told me about Donna? You mean you're going to have to forget everything or die? That's not exactly nothing you know Doctor."

Rose felt tears sting behind her eyes. How could she say goodbye to the Doctor again? How was any of this fair to her? How was it fair to the Doctor? She cared for him more than anyone else in Pete's World. It wasn't fair to her family, but she couldn't deny it. He was the one last bit of her old life left, and although she was still very much in love with her old Doctor, she new that she would grow to love her half-human Doctor every bit as much, even more in the future. She couldn't bear the thought of living her life without him again, particularly not now that she had spent so much time doing ordinary, domestic things with him.

"It's not as bad as with Donna, Rose," He walked over to where she was sitting on the counter and pulled her into an embrace, "I promise you, it's not nearly as bad as with Donna." He pulled up a chair and sat by her, his feet up on the console. The position they were in was very reminiscent of those times on the TARDIS, with her propped up on the console, and him in the jump seat. Times were so much simpler then, before they were caught up in affairs in Pete's World, getting covered in void stuff, being pulled through dimensions, having hands growing into bodies. It was better before all of the goodbyes, and the being-left-behind-without-goodbyes. He pulled himself out of his reverie when he noticed the stinging in his own eyes, catching himself before he started to tear up in front of Rose. This half-human body was much worse at holding back tears.

The Doctor continued, determined not to upset Rose, "You see, with Donna, she was all human. She had my frankly magnificent Time Lord mind, packed inside the less-than-magnificent human body. No offense, " he added when he realize he was being rude, "However, I'm half Time-Lord, so my body is much more equipped to handle this sort of thing. I can handle the headaches with a bit of ibuprofen. The issue is, I have a sort of link with the other me, right? The Time Lord in me is directly connected to him. My life, the Time Lord bit at least, is bonded to his. Which is fine, it wouldn't affect us at all in our daily life. However, there is the matter of regeneration. If the other Doctor regenerates, the Time Lord bit of me will die too."

"But that's ok yeah? Because you've got enough human in you to continue living a life with me. Because you promised you would, so you're not gonna just die on me now." Rose's eyes were now swimming with tears. She looked up at the Doctor for any sort of consolation, some conformation that she wasn't going to be alone.

"I do have enough human in me to live Rose," he said, and her eyes lit up, "but once I'm all human physically, the Time Lord mind will do to me what it did to Donna."

Rose was now sobbing. He got out of his chair and pulled her into his arms. He couldn't stand to see her cry. She was all he had in the world. She was all he had in this universe, and to see her so broken hearted was a nightmare to him. He had seen her crying too much in the last eight months, he never wanted to see her in tears again. He wanted to be able to take all of her pain away, but he new he couldn't. Not this him, not the half-human him. He cursed his Time Lord self for leaving her in so much pain, and now he was telling Rose that he may do the same.

"Rose, love, please, don't worry. Time Lords can go for hundreds of years without regenerating. Chances are we'll have grown old on our own before he regenerates. I'm not leaving you. Traveling together forever, remember?" he says, and then kisses her forehead. He feels her tense up, and he wonders if kissing her was pushing her too hard. So far the two of them had only just begun to regularly hold hands, and his worst fear was pushing her away. However, she relaxed and squeezed onto him for a moment and then let go, looking up at him with a teary smile.

"You swear you're not going anywhere?" she asked, and he nodded, reassuring her with his soft gaze. She gave him her famous tongue-in-tooth grin, "Good, someone's gotta be there to chauffeur me around the universe when the TARDIS is done." He smiled at her, "Now what about that Chinese, hm?" she continued, "You better be paying, I've covered for you plenty."

"Oh, alright. I suppose I still owe you for those chips after the end of the world. What do you say we get take out, though? We could eat at my place and watch an old Disney film?" He and Rose had loved to watch old Disney films on the TARDIS on the nights when both Rose and the TARDIS needed some rest. It was something she had always done with her mum when she was little, and something that she had forced his old, northern self to do with her (ok, forced is a little bit of an exaggeration. He would never admit it, but his old self loved those silly singing cartoons. And he also loved spending some quiet time with a certain Blonde earth girl, too, but he would deny that as well). His new body was more open in his love for cartoon musicals, however, and really enjoyed the habit that they fell into. They hadn't continued this little routine of theirs since they were separated, however, and the Doctor was nervous she'd reject him.

"Yeah, all right" she said, after a brief pause, smiling up at him again, relieving any nervousness he had about the matter. "How about Beauty and the Beast, yeah? That's always a good one."

"Anything you want, Rose Tyler. Allons-y!" he proclaimed, taking her hand and bounding out of the medical center.


	2. Chapter 2

The Doctor stood standing in the console room of the TARDIS, staring at the console trying to decide where he should head next. He had just returned from his visit to the Phosphorous Carousel of the Great Magellan Gestalt in the 42 century, and was considering prolonging his encounter with Ood Sigma yet again. He thought of Barcelona for a second, the planet, not the city, but he pushed that thought out of his head knowing it would be too upsetting to go alone after he never got to keep his promise of taking Rose there. He wondered if Pete's World had a Barcelona, maybe she could still go with the other him once their TARDIS coral was fully grown.

"She really would love those dogs with no noses…." he mumbled to himself flipping some switches. He quickly pulled his mind out of his reminiscing about Rose, switching his thoughts back to his next destination. "What do you think old girl?" he asked the TARDIS, "How about Earth Barcelona, the city? 1905. We could visit Picasso. Haven't seen him for years! He still owes me five  _pesetas_ from that bet we had? Or we could go to the Twelfth Star System of the Prexlan Galaxy. They have fantastic Hyper-Vodka Martinis at this excellent bar on a spaceport near Poosh." He felt the TARDIS jerk beneath his feet. "Oi! I thought you were on my side about this!" He felt another jerk. "I'm not trying to  _change_  a fixed point, exactly", he shouted at the counsel, "Only…delay it a bit…" He heard the TARDIS give a violent-sounding hum, and an image of Adelaide Brooke flashed into his head. "I don't need a reminder about Adelaide, thanks, I learned my lesson on messing with History," he snapped.

There was a long pause before the Doctor did anything. He weighed his options for a moment before he finally sighed. "Fine, we'll go to the Ood Sphere and see what they have to say. But if they give me anymore prophecies about my 'song ending' or if I hear 'he will knock four times' one more time…" he trailed off, entering coordinates and flipping switches on the console.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS into the snowy landscape, wearing a Stetson and lei had gotten from the gift shop at the Phosphorous Carousel. He spotted Ood Sigma standing in the snow a little a ways from the TARDIS. ' _Well this oughta be interesting_ ' he thought. He started to make his way toward the Ood. "Ah! Now, sorry. There you are. So, where were we? I was summoned, wasn't I?" He tried to maintain a casual, disinterested appearance while speaking to the Ood. "An Ood in the snow, calling to me. Well, I didn't exactly come straight here. Had a bit of fun, you know. Travelled about, did this and that. Got into trouble. You know me." He could tell that the Ood was neither interested nor amused by the Doctors stories. ' _Like it matters what he thinks. If he's sending me to my death then I think I have a right to at least try to enjoy myself_.' He continued with his tales. "It was brilliant. I saw the Phosphorous Carousel of the Great Magellan Gestadt, saved a planet from the Red Carnivorous Maw, named a galaxy Alison. Got married. That was a mistake. Good Queen Bess. And let me tell you, her nickname is no longer. Ahem. Anyway, what do you want?" he asked, pretending to be unaware of his impending doom.

"You should not have delayed," Ood Sigma replied calmly.

"The last time I was here you said my song would be ending soon, and I'm in no hurry for that." The Doctor knew he sounded rude, and he didn't care.

"You will come with me."

"Hold on. Better lock the Tardis," said the Doctor as he pulled out his TARDIS key. He pointed it at the TARDIS and the light flashed as the door locked, "See? Like a car. I locked it like a car. Like. It's funny. No? Little bit? Blimey, try to make an Ood laugh. So how old are you now, Ood Sigma?" he asked, and looked around at the city in front of him, noticing the progress the Ood have made since his last visit with Donna. ' _She would have been so happy to see how far they came since we left,_ ' he thought, ' _All thanks to her. The DoctorDonna. My best friend. The Most Important Woman in the Whole of Creation_.' He missed Donna; she was like a sister to him. It was so cruel how she could never remember any of the time they spent together. "Ah," he said, trying to push any thoughts of his long-lost friend out of his head, "Magnificent. Oh, come on, that is splendid. You've achieved all this in how long?"

"One hundred years," replied the Ood, admiring his people's achievements.

"Then we've got a problem," said the Doctor, seeing the advancements that should take at least half a millennium to develop, "Because all of this is way too fast. Not just the city, I mean your ability to call me. Reaching all the way back to the twenty first century. Something's accelerating your species way beyond normal."

"And the Mind of the Ood is troubled," the Ood continued, seeming to agree with the Doctor.

"Why, what's happened?"

"Every night, Doctor, every night we have bad dreams."

* * *

Rose and the Meta-Crisis Doctor sat at their favorite Pizza Parlor after work. Three months had passed since they returned to their old habit of take-out and Disney films. Since then they had continued to develop their relationship. It started with small things, like grabbing dinner together after work on Fridays, but had since grown into bigger things, like movies and zoo trips and museum visits. About a month ago was the biggest development in their relationship since she started speaking to him again. They had just gotten back from their trip to the Natural History Museum and he was dropping her off at her flat, when she had kissed him. It was nothing too special, just a small peck on the lips, but it meant so much more than that to the Doctor, having been their first kiss since Bad Wolf Bay.

"So do you really think I'll like it?" asked Rose, pulling the doctor out of his reverie.

"What?" He asked, remembering where he was. ' _Oh yeah, movie date. No, not date, don't call it that, Rose isn't ready to call them dates ye_ t' he corrected himself.

"Do you really think I'll like the film?" Rose asked, "I mean, something just feels weird about a CGI Disney Princess film."

"No! You'll love it!" He replied, in disbelief that she could be skeptical about a movie he considered one of his favorite Disney Films. "Tangled is brilliant! The music is great and the story is wonderful! I've been waiting for it to come out for so long in your timeline. I was beginning to get worried they wouldn't have it in Pete's World."

"Yeah? Good. I won't have you taking me out on lame dates, mister," she said, giving her tooth in tongue smile, not noticing the significance of her word choice.

"Oh don't worry, you won't be disappointed," the Doctor replied, feeling a flutter in his stomach after hearing her call their dinner a date. "So, you all finished up?"

"Mhm. Just let me run to the loo and we can get going"

* * *

The film had ended and the Doctor was now walking Rose back to her flat. He was right, she really had enjoyed the film, which made him quite happy.

"That really was fantastic," she said, "The music was brilliant like you said. And the story was just so relatable for a fairy tale, you know? I mean, I totally understand how Rapunzel felt, trapped in a dull life, no real future, just dying to get out of a routine."

"Remind you of someone you know, hm?" the Doctor teased, "Beautiful blonde swept away to an adventure by a handsome, exciting man?"

"Oh hush you," Rose said, blushing a bit, "You think you're handsome, eh? You wish. Jack on the other hand? Now he was the Flynn Rider type. Strapping and charming, a bit of a criminal? You're more of a Pascal," she teased, knowing it would get to him.

"Oi! I'm charming! And yes, as a matter of fact, I do think I'm handsome. This if probably my best look yet," he said, adjusting his tie.

Rose looked him over, and based on what she had heard from him about his other bodies and clothing choices, she had to agree with him. He still insisted on wearing the tight, pinstriped suits and trainers almost everywhere, but it suited him. She saw him notice her checking him out and immediately averted her eyes, changing the subject. "I think the best fit for us is Beauty and the Beast."

"Oh? Why's that?" he asked, gazing down at her, noticing how beautiful she looked in the soft glow of the street lamps.

"Well, there's a girl who wants to get out of the simple life she has, yeah? And she meets an angry, broken man. They have their fights, but they begin to care for one another. And in the end, he becomes better," she says. They reach her flat and stop walking. She looks up at him, noticing how intense his gaze was. "And he changes. Not entirely, mind you. He get's a new face and a new voice," she continues, lowering her voice, looking into his eyes, "He's a bit prettier and a lot happier, and a lot more like her," she says, placing a hand on his cheek. Her voice now barely a whisper, she continues, "But underneath he's still the same. The very same man that she cares for with all of her heart."

The Doctor said nothing, looking down at the wonderful, brilliant woman he loved, the feeling of her hand on his cheek burning like fire. He was inches away from Rose, now, and he sense everything, the smell of her hair, the beating of her heart, the shaking in her breathe, all of it around his, numbing his mind. And just like that he felt her lips pressed against his. Stiffened for a second, but then relaxed, snaking an arm around her back and pulling her close. She moved the hand that was on his cheek and ran it through his hair, moving her other arm to wrap in around his neck. She opened her mouth lightly and heard the Doctor moan softly against her lips.

"Rose"

She gently pulled away from him and rested her head against his chest. She stayed in his embrace for a moment, and new this was it. She needed him to stay with her tonight. Rose needed to sleep like this, warm in his arms, and she new he needed to as well.

But then she heard it, the beating of his one human heart, and her mind flashed to her home world. She thought of the other Doctor, possibly alone after losing Donna, and it hurt. She felt wrong. She new she couldn't go this far with her Doctor, not yet. Not when her mind was on the other Doctor. It wasn't fair to either of them. So she pulled out of his embrace and looked up at him with a half smile.

"Good Night, Doctor." She saw a flash of sadness in his eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared, and he smiled.

"Good Night, Rose," he said. He bent down and placed a small peck on her cheek before turning and heading home.


	3. Chapter 3

"Morning, love! I thought we could head over to Pete and Jackie's early and have some breakfast before we watch Tony." The Doctor was standing in the doorway to Rose's flat, beaming at her disheveled form; seemingly oblivious to the glare he was receiving.

"Doctor, it's six in the morning on a Saturday, we don't have to watch Tony 'til eleven. I thought this new human body of yours needed more sleep." Rose knew she sounded like a whining child, but she couldn't stand being woken up this early, especially when she had planed to sleep for at least another two hours.

"Well, I do need more sleep, but I get a good five hours at night, and that's usually enough," He stated, pulling off his coat and hanging it on the rack by the door. "Besides, couldn't wait to see me favorite human," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You could've at least called and told me you were coming, I'm not even dressed. You want a cuppa?" she asked as she made her way to the kitchen.

"Well, it's not as if I haven't seen you in your jim-jams before. You practically lived in them whenever we took a slow day on the TARDIS." The Doctor pulled out the kettle and filled it with water. This had become a routine for them in the morning. He would come over, they'd have tea and maybe some toast and eggs, and usually he's end up going on about how the TARDIS was growing, or his latest pet project at Torchwood, or differences between Pete's world and her home universe, or whatever else was going on in his head at the time. Usually, however, she would be up and dressed. Rose new that he'd seen her looking far worse, but she couldn't help feeling strangely about it now that they were becoming more intimate. She new it was silly of her to care so much, and that her appearance had never been something she was overly concerned with, but now she caught the Doctor looking at her much more often, and she couldn't help but want to look her best around him. "Besides," he continued, pulling her out of her thoughts as if he could read her mind, "You're absolutely beautiful no matter what you're wearing."

"For a human, yeah?" she teased, remembering their second trip in the TARDIS together. The Doctor poured himself and Rose a cup of tea and took the seat across from her at the table.

"Oh, for any species, Rose Tyler. I was a bit daft back then wasn't I? Always trying to cover up how I felt about you. Now I can say exactly what I think about you tough, can't I? And I think that no matter how you dress, you Rose Tyler, are the most beautiful creature, human or otherwise, in the whole of creation," he declared, placing his feet on the table and taking a sip of his tea.

"Oh, shut up, you're just trying to get back on my good side," she teased, although she felt her stomach doing flips at his words, blood rushing to her cheeks, turning them a deep pink, "I'm onto you, mister, you're not gonna get away with waking me up out of a dead sleep that easily."

"Oh, what are you gonna do to me? Punish me?" the Doctor questioned, tongue poking between his teeth, his eyebrows waggling.

"I just might have to, Doctor," she said, getting up from her chair and walking towards him. Rose was quite nervous, worried that the Doctor may try to retreat from her advances. Still, she wanted to maintain a confident appearance, so she ignored her heart's frantic beating.

The Doctor felt his own single heart speed up as she approached, surprised at the direction Rose was taking the conversation, but certainly not opposed to it. Rose looked down at him with something in her eyes that the Doctor hadn't seen in a very long while. She sat down on his lap, hooking one arm around his neck, and looked deep into his eyes. She continued, not breaking eye contact, "How do think the Vice-Director of Torchwood feels, having a half-alien effect her health, depriving her of sleep. This could be taken as a threat to my life, Doctor," she whispered, cheeky smile on her lips, just inches from him.

The Doctor gulped, feeling his whole mouth go dry. Rose had never been this brazen with him before, and he could feel his body reacting to her touch. He let his eyes close and felt his body tune in to the feeling of Rose's pressed so close to him. "And what, uh, exactly is the Vice-Director of Torchwood going to do about this a-alien threat?" he managed to whisper, barely able to breathe as she raked her fingers through his hair.

"Hmm, probably take him into custody. Lock him up in one of the cells below Canary Warf. Make sure he's restrained. Of course, she'll have to examine him," she breathed into his ear, "The anatomy of a Time Lord still remains a mystery to those of us at Torchwood, you see…" she trailed off as she readjusted herself so she was now straddling him. The Doctor groaned, bucking his hips up slightly. She took the hand that was not tangled in his hair and ran it along his chest. "Feels very human, but I may need a closer inspection," she said, lust lacing every word. She moved her hand so that it ran under his shirt and felt the smooth skin underneath, reveling in the feeling of it, warm and soft and absolutely flawless. Grazing her fingers just below his naval, feeling the trail of small, soft hairs leading down below the belt where she could feel his growing want. She leaned in and placed her lips against his, savouring the velvet feel of him. This kiss was much more passionate, much more needy then their previous kisses. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip, begging for entrance to his warm mouth, but he was to quick and instead he plunged his own tongue into her mouth, drawing a soft moan out of her. She could feel the wetness pooling between her legs now, her body preparing itself for her Doctor.

Although some of his senses were a bit less sensitive then in his Time Lord body, the Doctor could still smell Rose's arousal quite clearly. He let out a growl as he got up out of his chair and pushed her up onto the table, her legs still around his waist. He moved his mouth off of hers and buried his face in her neck, breathing in the intoxicating aroma of her hormones. Pushing her harder into the table, he ground his hips against her center whilst running his tongue from her collarbone to her earlobe. Rose elicited a whimper, moving her hands so they were tangled in his hair. "And what if the alien tries to resist the Vice-Director, Rose? He's certainly quite a bit stronger then she is. He could easily over-power her," he growled, grinding hard against her so she was sure to feel his want for her. She tried to reply, but her words were caught in her throat, and all that escaped was a low moan.

All thoughts of their role-play slowly melted out of his head as the gorgeous woman in front of him consumed his thoughts. He leaned down and placed soft kisses along her clavicle and the top of her chest. Rose moved her hands to unbutton his shirt, wanting to feel more of him. "I meant it, you know, Rose," the Doctor said, between the rhythmic grinding and kissing, "You are absolutely, without a doubt, the most beautiful, most brilliant thing I have ever encountered." He moved his lips up to her ear and whispered, "I love you so much Rose. More then you could possibly know." Rose felt her eyes well up with tears at his words, and she knew that she felt the same way. She loved the man who was with her with every shred of her existence, the man who comforted her when she was stranded for a second time in Norway. The man who had promised he would never leave her alone, and who had been there for her no matter how coldly she treated him in the beginning. She opened her mouth to reply, but couldn't get past "I", the words still feeling heavy on her tongue. "You don't need to say the words yet, Rose. I know. I understand. But I'll be here whenever you're ready to. I swear I will always be here," he whispered, pressing a kiss on her cheek. He ran his hands down her sides until they reached the hem of her shirt. "Are you sure you feel ready for this with me, love?" She moaned in reply, and he began to pull her shirt up, when the phone rang.

Rose felt like she was doused with ice water and she snapped back to reality. "I-I need to get that, Doctor," she said sheepishly. When she saw the embarrassed look on his face, she placed a thumb on his cheek and gave him a small peck to assure him that she wasn't second-guessing herself. She wanted him desperately, but she knew her first time with the Doctor shouldn't be on her table at six forty-five in the morning. "Although, I don't understand why anyone remotely important would be calling at this hour."

As she made her way over to her mobile on the counter, the Doctor watched as she swayed her hips unintentionally. ' _I absolutely need to wake Rose out of a dead sleep more often_ ,' he thought, ' _almost shagging Rose Tyler is definitely an activity I want to participate in first thing in the morning. Well, actually shagging Rose Tyler might be even better first thing in the morning. I will certainly be coming back to see if that's a possibility_.'

Rose picked up the phone and held it to her ear without checking the caller ID. "Hello?" she said, voice still hoarse. The Doctor walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck from behind. Snogging Rose like that had awakened something in the Doctor, and now all he wanted to do was kiss her and touch her. He ground against her back, letting her know that he was still very, very hard.

"You tell that bloody alien to stop messing with my appliances!" Jackie Tyler's voice rang in her ears. "I went to use the microwave this morning and ever bloody drop of water within twenty feet of it boiled! You dad's gonna have bloody third-degree burns in his mouth from his orange juice. I don't care what the Doctor was trying to do to it, but now my kitchens gonna be a bloody sauna!"

"Good morning to you too, mum," Rose replied, rolling her eyes. The Doctor heard Rose and her mum's conversation and paused the affection he was giving Rose, now focused on her shoulder. He flinched at the thought of the slap he was going to get when he saw Jackie today. Then he thought of the even bigger slap he would get if Jackie had known what he and Rose were up to just a moment ago. Rose continued, "Look, mum, why don't the Doctor and I come over a little earlier today and he could try to fix it."

"He better! Lord only knows I'm a saint with all the patience I have with that man! Really, Rose, why did you have to fall in love with an alien?"

The sound of Jackie's shrill voice alleviated some of the strain the Doctor was feeling in his trousers. He couldn't help but pull the phone from Rose's hand and yell back at her. "Oh, love you too, Jackie!"

"Are you listening in on my calls? Who do you think you are?" Jackie's indignant voice came through the phone. "That's illegal, it is! I'll have you for this!"

The Doctor, now flustered and offended at the idea that someone could think he would monitor Jackie Tyler's phone calls, replied "Jackie, I'm not-" However, before he could finish, Rose plucked the phone out of his hand and gave him a stern look.

"Mum, he's in the room with me, he's not listening in on your calls. You're just being loud! We'll be over in an hour," Rose dismissed, losing her patience with her mother. "Good bye, mum."

"Good bye, sweetheart. Give that Doctor of yours a slap for me."

Rose rolled her eyes and put the phone away. "Doctor, what did you do to mums microwave? I told you to stop making 'improvements' to her appliances, you know she hates it."

"But it's so much more efficient now! I mean the technology in that thing was borderline prehistoric! Jackie really should be thanking me," the Doctor replied, tucking back in his shirt and readjusting his tie. "Now, Rose Tyler," he continued, placing his hands on her hips, looking deep into her eyes, "As much as I would love to continue what we started, and trust my, I would  _really_  love to continue, I do think you better get dressed for the day so we can head over to Pete and Jackie's. I expect the longer we keep your mother waiting, the harder the inevitable Jackie Tyler slap will be."

"Suppose you're right Doctor," replied Rose, snaking her arms around the Doctors neck, "I wouldn't want mum to damage your pretty-boy face." She placed a small peck on the corner of his mouth, lingering for just a second. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Would you wanna maybe stay here tonight?" Rose asked, blushing a bit, eyes not fully meeting his, "We could order in? And than you could stay the night. I-if you want, I mean."

"Oh, Rose Tyler, I would love to stay here with you tonight," he stated, eyes lighting up, a grin spreading on his lips. "This flat happens to be one of my favorite places on Earth. How could I refuse an offer to stay here? My own flat has a distinct lack of Rose, its almost unbearable. However, this flat has all the Rose I could ever want."

"You really like this place?" Rose questioned, as she made her way to her bedroom to get dressed for the day, "I always thought it was missing something. I could never exactly put my finger on it, but I think it needs something skinny and pin-striped, and a bit alien," she called from inside her room.

"Well, I certainly meet those requirements. I would be happy to make this place a bit more livable to you," he replied, still in the kitchen, sonic screwdriver in hand. He picked up the toaster and started to sonic it.

"I'll have to think about it, Doctor. I'm not really in the market for a flatmate at the moment!" she teased, as she pulled her pajama top over her head. Rose went to her closet and picked out a fitted sweater, one that she knew the Doctor liked on her.

"Oh, I'm certain I'd make a brilliant flatmate, Rose! I'd make you breakfast in bed and give you massages after work. I'd for cook you every night, all your favourites!" He began to pull apart the toaster, removing the coil and soniced it for a second.

"Sounds like you wanna be a bit more then flatmates, Doctor," stepping out of the room, fully dressed, with a hairbrush in hand.

"Only if you want, love. Course, I don't know how you couldn't, me being brilliant, and a bit pretty too, might I add," he boasted, now taking out some sort of metal chip in his pocket, placing it in the toaster and wiring it to one of the springs.

"Well, you're definitely not gonna move in if you keep messing with my stuff!" Rose groaned when she noticed the Doctor tinkering away, "Seriously, you need to stop trying to 'improve' everything. No wonder mum is always slapping you. You really do bring it on yourself."

"Oi! I'm just trying to help!" the Doctor insisted, "Really, all I was trying to do was work like the one on the TARDIS. You know, the one that made toast in less then thirty seconds? Well, like that one but better. I can try to get it to play songs when the toast is done."

"Doctor, I'm really quite content with my non-singing toaster. And I can wait a few minutes for toast. Now put my toaster back together, the way it was," she asserted when she noticed him tying to keep his modifications, "and lets get going. Mum's gonna kill you if you're late."

The Doctor rolled his eyes, putting the last bits of the toaster back together. He took Rose by the hand and made his way toward the door, eager to spend his whole day with his Rose.

 


	4. Chapter 4

"And that's why Batman would  _have_  to be the King of Middle Earth," explained Tony, speaking a mile a minute, "Because Princess Leia and Indiana Jones are busy being the Captains of the Black Pearl, and Wonder Woman is Queen of Hogwarts." The frantic toddler had his enormous Lego collection out, describing the complex system he had in place in terms of the various governments that ran each realm of his Lego kingdom. The logic he used to develop this system would only make sense to a four year-old-boy, or, apparently a nine hundred-year-old Time Lord. The Doctor and Tony were deeply involved in their game, while Rose simply sat and watched the two of them fondly, wondering how she had become lucky enough to be able to keep both her Doctor and her human life.

"And then that would mean, if my logic is correct," the Doctor responded, enthralled in the game, "and my logic almost always is," he added with a smirk, "That Hermione Granger is Empress of the TARDIS," the Doctor finished, pointing at the custom Time Lord Lego set he made for Tony as a birthday gift. The toddler nodded his head with a large grin. "Well, Tony Tyler, I can't say as I could think of any woman more qualified to run the TARDIS," he declared, "Except for your brilliant sister, that is," he added, winking at Rose.

"Me? Qualified to run the TARDIS? I think that's one of the nicest things you've ever said to me," Rose replied, a blush creeping up on her cheeks. The Doctor had been flirting with her the whole time they were watching Tony, and it kept making her mind wander back to this morning, and by extension turned her thoughts to what she and the Doctor were going to get up to tonight. She kept thinking of very, very naughty things, naughty things that she should not be thinking about at the moment. She was supposed to be watching her little brother, not imaging the Doctor naked, kissing down her neck, nuzzling into her chest, hand moving between her thighs right up to where- No! No dirty thoughts right now.

"Nonsense Rose, I'm always nice to you. I distinctly remember being  _very_  nice to you this morning," the Doctor commented, his tone brazen and dripping with lust. His face was still completely stoic and turned towards the Lego set, but he eyes her dark with need. Roses mouth hung open for a second, shocked by his cheek. She knew that he must have been able to smell her mild arousal, but never expected him to make such a bold comment. She sat in stunned silence, struggling to find words. In a second his eyes lightened and he turned to Tony, "Could you pass me the Millennium Falcon? Spiderman needs to talk to Luna Lovegood," he said, changing the subject and his tone in an instant.

'Fine,' Rose thought to herself, 'If he insists on teasing me, then I'll show no mercy later.' She knew that both she and the Doctor were both desperate for what tonight had in store, but she couldn't help letting her competitive streak get the better of her.

"Rosie?" Tony pulled her out of her thoughts, "I'm hungry. Can you and the Doctor make me lunch? I want ice cream."

Rose was about to tell him that he would have to eat something more nutritious for lunch when the Doctor interjected. "Excellent idea Tony. How about some sundaes for lunch? Sound good?" the Toddler nodded frantically, ecstatic at the thought of actually getting an ice cream sundae for lunch. Rose gave the Doctor a disapproving look, but he ignored it as he continued, "Brilliant! Now, Rose and I will make the sundaes, you just clean up these Legos. We can eat out in the garden! I need to check up on the TARDIS coral anyway."

"Oh, can I water it?" Tony begged, "Please, please, please?"

"Tony, the TARDIS doesn't really need-" Rose began, but the Doctor cut her off.

"Of course you can, Tony my man!" the Doctor exclaimed, with a wink to Rose, "The TARDIS certainly needs to get to know you, what with all the travelling we're going to do in it once it's grown. Now, put away your Legos and meet us in the garden in five minutes." Tony nodded, picking up the various colored bricks from the ground.

Rose and the Doctor started down the hall towards the kitchen. "Mum's going to be furious when she finds out that you're giving Tony ice cream for lunch, you know," Rose stated, glancing up at him, "Sometimes I swear you live to make that woman angry."

"She's always angry at me, so might as well at least enjoy myself. Besides, why should Tony have to suffer just because your mother always has irrational anger towards me?"

"It's not irrational, Doctor, it really isn't good for him to be having ice cream for lunch."

"It's not that bad for him Rose. I mean, put it into perspective. It's not as bad as, say, a Gillwatian Root Salad from the planet Efrrilac. Perfectly harmless to the Efrrilaci, but can make a human ill for weeks," the Doctor explained, rounding a corner into the kitchen, opening the freezer and pulling out the strawberry and chocolate ice cream, "So really, ice cream is rather good for him."

"Whatever you say, Doctor. Just don't expect me to defend you when mum goes to yell at you for getting Tony all hyped up on sugar."

"That's a myth, Rose," He stated, scooping out the ice cream into three bowls, "Sugar doesn't actually cause hyperactivity."

"Yeah? Try telling that to my mum when she's angry at you." Rose pulled out some various topping for the ice cream out of the refrigerator. She handed them to the Doctor and watched for a few minutes as he expertly crafted the sundaes, his face completely focused on his task. She watched as he sliced a banana into perfectly even pieces and placed them carefully into the ice cream, then took chocolate sauce and drizzled it over the ice cream in a complicated, lace-like pattern, resulting in what looked like a chocolate doily. He placed a strawberry in the exact center of each ice cream, concentrating hard on not disrupting the design of the chocolate. Rose couldn't help put smile fondly at the man in front of her, enjoying how enthralled in his task he appeared to be. It reminded her of how immersed he would get in his tinkering on the TARDIS. She was so pleased that their own TARDIS would soon be done, and she and the Doctor would be back to seeing the stars, just as they had before. "Doctor? Did you mean what you said to Tony earlier? About him coming with us on the TARDIS?"

The Doctor looked up from his sundae-making to meet her gaze, his eyes flickering with a hint of worry. "Yes. I did- I mean, if you want. Do you want? Because I mean if you don't- but he can, and if you do! That is, only if you do," he babbled away, his tone a bit anxious, as if he was worried that she would be angry with him inviting Tony without asking her, "And if you're nervous- 'cause TARDIS travel is dangerous, but we can only go somewhere safe with him. I mean, if you say he can come. If- If you want him…to come…" he trailed off at the end, waiting for her response.

"Of course I don't mind if he comes," she giggled, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He gave her a wide grin. "I just thought it might be a bit  _domestic_ for you, having a little kid running around on board."

"No, not anymore! I'm part human now, could do with a bit of domestics!" He smiled brightly, "Besides, Tony is brilliant, he'd make a wonderful companion for us! Of course, this is all theoretical. It depends on if Jackie even lets him come with us. Now," he said placing the ice creams on a tray, "Lets go out and have ourselves a picnic in the Garden. Shall we, Dame Rose?" he asked, holding out his arm for her to take.

"Absolutely, Sir Doctor." She linked her arm with his. They made their way to the garden in companionable silence. When the reached the door to the outside, the Rose turned to the Doctor, her eyes heavy, "By the way, if you continue to tease me in front of Tony," she whispered in his ear, her breath tickling his skin. He voice was lusty and full of want; "I might not be as  _nice_ to you tonight as I was this morning. Understand?" He nodded slowly, his eyes looking a bit dazed, and his mouth dry, "Good." She gaze him a firm squeeze through his trousers, and he elicited a groan. She smirked before turning to go into the garden, "Tony, love, lunch is ready."

* * *

The Doctor, Rose and Tony had finished their ice cream and were now focused on the young TARDIS. The Doctor was rather pleased with the progress it was making, and expected that it would be fully grown in around two months. It had taken the form of a small shed in the garden for the time being. Tony had used a hose and doused the outside with water, having a one sided conversation with it. Rose and the Doctor had smiled fondly at the young boy as they watched him tell the box all about himself.

"He seems to be forming quite the bond with her," the Doctor beamed, "She likes him already. Just like his older sister. And because this TARDIS is genetically identical to the old one, it certainly has a very particular bond with you, Miss Bad Wolf. I can feel it, right in here," he stated, pointing to his forehead. He turned to Tony and the TARDIS. "And now, you too, there's something I've been meaning to show the both of you for quite sometime." He put his hand on the door to the shed and gave it a push, "I give you, our brand new, if still bit unfinished, TARDIS."

Rose gasped as she saw the inside of the shed. It was a plain white console room, with a metallic, six sided console right in the center. It was far from finished, but it thrilled her to know how close she was to being able to travel with the doctor again. She ran to the Doctor and wrapped her arms around with neck and gave him a tight squeeze. "This is amazing. Really, I can't wait to be able to travel again."

"Won't be long now! Then we can start seeing the universe, just you and me! And Tony of course," he announced brightly, turning his attention to the young boy, who stood dumbfounded next to the console, "What do you think, Tony? Live up to expectations?" Tony nodded frantically as the Doctor scooped him up, "I'm glad you like it Tony. You just wait 'til it's finished. There's gonna be a swimming pool. In the library! Now, I just need to being working on the circuits and modify the dimensional stabilizer, which might take me a few weeks. After that the TARDIS will just need some time to do some growing on its own, but when that's finished, she should be vortex worthy!"

"Anything I can do to help, Doctor?" Rose stood by his side as went below the console to start his work.

"Yeah actually, can you use your sonic to resonate the quantum pulse by the Time Rotor and read me back the sixth and seventh digits that come up on the monitor? Use setting B215."

"Ok," she replied, pulling out her sonic, which was actually his sonic from Donna's parallel words, but it had survived the collapse of that universe when she brought it into the prime one. She turned the sonic to setting B215 and began to resonate the pulse. Her years at Torchwood had certainly paid off, as she was now finally able to understand his techno-babble, at least to some extent. "Alright, the monitor reads '2' and '8'. "

"Molto Benne! Now, I'm going to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow of the gravity dampener for a moment, and the minute those number change to '7' and '9' I need you to reroute the temporal sensors."

"Yessir!" she stated, waiting for the monitor's reading to change, "Tony, can you hold down that red button there for me?" she asked, as the numbers switched over, "Thanks, love," she said as she soniced the console, "There you go! All done."

"Well done, Miss Tyler! And Mister Tyler!" the Doctor said, popping out from beneath the console, "That's all I'm gonna do today, the TARDIS will want her rest. We can come back tomorrow and-AHHHHHHH!" He doubled over, clutching his head, feeling as though his whole mind was on fire.

"Doctor, what's happened? Are you alright, what's wrong? Doctor!"

The last thing he heard was Rose calling him as he blacked out, his body feeling as though he was being burned alive.

 


	5. Chapter 5

"Are you sure you're alright, Doctor?" Rose hovered over the Doctor, who was stretched out on the sofa with an ice pack on his forehead. He had passed out in the garden almost two hours ago, and had only woken up about ten minutes ago. Jackie and Pete had come home about an hour after the Doctor passed out, and were watching Tony as the Doctor rested. Rose was trying to hide her worry behind a plastic smile. "Do you need anything? Water? Tea?"

"Maybe just a painkiller and some tea, thanks." He tried to sit up, but let out a groan. "My head is killing me, but I'm sure I'll be fine." He took out his sonic and quickly scanned himself. "Everything looks fine, nothing seams wrong with any of my vitals. I should be great. Brilliant! Molto Benne." He shifted again and let out another groan. "Right after I get that tea."

"Right, I'll get that for you. Don't go anywhere, love." Rose kissed his forehead and walked into the kitchen. Jackie and Pete were sitting with Tony, asking him all about his day, trying to keep a calm façade so as to not worry the little boy.

"How's himself, then?" Jackie inquired, trying to mask her nervousness, "You got me so worried, telling me he passed out. I thought it was going to be Christmas 2006 all over again."

"He's doing better, thanks. He just needs some tea." Rose's lip quivered as she felt her eyes begin to sting.

Jackie must have noticed her Daughter's eyes watering, because she took her daughters hand. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm sure everything's going to be alright. The Doctor promised you he's here to stay now. I'm sure a little fainting spell's not going to change that."

"S'just, I know you and him are probably right, but I can't stop imagining the worst. Remember what I told you about what happens if the other Doctor regenerates? What if that's what's happening, mum?" Rose was now completely in a panic. She gasped for breath as she tried to stop herself from bursting into tears. "And then, what about the other Doctor? What if he's all alone and dying? I can't be there to help him mum!" Rose felt like the earth was spinning out of control beneath her feet. She grabbed hold of the table as her legs gave out.

In an instant, Pete put an arm around her, catching her before she fell. He lowered her into the seat next to Jackie, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "It's alright, love. The Doctor said he's fine now, yeah?" Rose gave a little nod. "Then that's that. If the other Doctor were hurt or regenerating, we would know. You need to trust that the Doctor is telling you the truth." He stroked her hair as she began to calm down. "Now, you go in and sit with him, I'll make the tea."

Rose slowly lifted from her seat, giving her father's hand a squeeze before leaving the room. She made her way back to the drawing room and noticed the Doctor lying with his eyes closed, looking completely at peace. Her mouth curved into a small smile as she went over to place a small peck on his lips. "Pete's coming in with the tea. Thought I'd keep you some company. How are you feeling now?"

"Absolutely brilliant, now that you're here!" He opened his eyes to gaze up at the gorgeous woman above him, noticing the tear tracks on her face. He sat himself up and pulled her close, stroking her hair. "Hey, it's alright, love. I'm right here. I'm so sorry I gave you such a scare." He nuzzled into her hair, breathing in the heavenly scent.

"M'sorry, Doctor. I really am. I just got so worried, what with everything you told me about… him regenerating."

"I understand. I got worried myself there for a minute. But I feel absolutely brilliant now, nothing to worry about," he whispered, still holding onto Rose's hand. "Besides, I believe we had plans tonight. I'm certainly not going to let any pesky regeneration get in the way of that, that's for sure," he added, waggling his eyebrows.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Doctor, you just had some sort of mysterious fit, and you're thinking about sex? I never realised you were so horny."

"Well, I've been looking forward to this moment since we arrived in this universe. Well, technically I've been looking forward to it since 'Run', but up until now, I didn't think it possible. So excuse me for being excited about making love to the most wonderful, brilliant woman in the multiverse."

"Well, as soon as you're feeling better, we can head back to my flat."

The Doctor's eyes lit up. "Looks like I'm not the only one anxious to consummate our relationship." Rose rolled her eyes and pulled him into a kiss. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her down on top of him. Rose's hand wandered up to his hair, tangling into the brown locks, giving in a light tug. The Doctor let out a low moan against her mouth, and she took the opportunity to plunge her tongue into his mouth, earning yet another noise.

"AHH!" The snapped up as they heard the Toddler yell. He had a disgusted look on his face, teacup in hand. "MUMMY! DADDY! ROSE AND THE DOCTER ARE KISSING AND IT'S GROSSSS!" He put the teacup on the coffee table and ran out of the room.

If the Doctor thought that absorbing the radiation to save Wilf was painful, it was nothing compared to the pain he faced saying goodbye to his former companions. He had said all but one of his goodbyes, and now stood at the Powell Estates. He couldn't find the strength to pilot the TARDIS to a specific time or date, but hoped the TARDIS understood. It was frigid and snowing (actual snow this time, not ash), so he assumed winter.

"I'm late now. I've missed it. It's midnight. Mickey's going to be calling me everything. This is your fault. " The Doctor heard the voice and recognized it in an instant. His heart started to constrict in his chest, knowing that he won't ever be able to hear her voice again. His body was still aching from the regeneration and he wanted to cry out in pain, but he knew he had to remain unseen.

"No, it's not. It's Jimbo. He said he was going to give us a lift, then he said his axle broke. I can't help it. " Jackie's voice came from close by, and for the first time since he met her, it offered him comfort, like hearing his mother's voice. He strained to hear the rest of their conversation, wanting to burn the sound into his memory.

"Get rid of him, Mum. He's useless."

"Listen to you, with a mechanic. Be fair, though. My time of life I'm not going to do much better."

'Oh, how wrong you are, Jackie Tyler.' The Doctor thought fondly back to Jackie and Pete reuniting. If anyone deserved that happiness, it was Jackie Tyler, mother of the century. She was an amazing women for raising Rose to be the brilliant woman she was, all on her own.

"Don't be like that. You never know. There could be someone out there." There was his Rose. Full of hope and happiness when he needed it the most.

"Maybe, one day. Happy New Year." New Year. New beginnings. 'How fitting' he thought disdainfully.

"Happy New Year! Don't stay out all night."

"Try and stop me."

Just as the two began to walk away, the Doctor felt a stab of pain go through him and could not suppress his groan. "You alright, mate?" 'I'm always alright' Not anymore. He could pretend to be, though, for her sake. It was last chance to be with her, it needed to be a happy memory.

"Yeah," he lied, trying to support himself on his legs, which were threatening to give out below him.

"Too much to drink?"

"Something like that."

"Maybe it's time you went home." 'Right now I am,' he wanted to say, 'You are my home', 'please come back to me', 'I love you', but he couldn't. This wasn't his Rose. Not yet.

"Yeah."

"Anyway, Happy New Year."

"And you. What year is this?" She looked around the same age as she was when they first met, but he needed to be sure.

"Blimey, how much have you had?" He shrugged a bit, giving a weak smile, "2005, January the first."

"2005." Their year. The first time they met. "Tell you what. I bet you're going to have a really great year." He meant it, in every way. She had so much to look forward to, so much she would do. Her story ended much better then his.

"Yeah?" He nodded, wanting her to understand, knowing that he wouldn't. "See you." 'Oh, Rose Tyler, that you would. If only I could say the same.'

He watched as she gave him one last smile, warm and bright enough to melt the snow around him. He concentrated for a moment, trying to burn her image into him mind, willing her to be the last image in his mind before he changed.

Just then, he felt another wave of pain shoot through his body, burning his insides. He began to make his way back to the TARDIS, but his legs gave out. He started to crawl through the snow, praying that he wouldn't have to regenerate alone in the snow. He wanted at least the dignity of regenerating in the TARDIS.

"We will sing to you, Doctor." The Doctor looked up to find Ood Sigma in standing in the snow. "The universe will sing you to your sleep." He found comfort in the Ood's words, knowing that somewhere in the universe there were people who cared. Maybe he wasn't so alone. "This song is ending, but the story never ends."

He finally reached the door to the TARDIS, feeling its soothing hum under these fingers for the last time. He removed his coat, throwing it over the coral strut. 'I wonder if the next me will wear the coat.' He was much calmer than he expected to be at this point, his body numbing to the pain. There was still so much he could do, so many people he would miss. He wasn't ready to give up this life, but he could do nothing but accept his fate.

Her ran his fingers over the controls of his beloved TARDIS, wondering if his next regeneration would fly her the same. He felt jealous, knowing that another man would have his memories and friends and TARDIS. He felt another stab of pain and looked down at his hands. They glowed a yellow-gold, signaling it was time.

In that moment he felt the panic, the terror that had not hit him until this very moment. Taking a few shallow breaths, he all but whispered his last words.

"I don't want to go."


	6. Chapter 6

“…And I’m telling you, it’s not possible!” The Doctor laughed as Rose continued to look amazed at the card trick he just performed for her. After they had left the Tyler’s house they had picked up some pizza and put on _Lady and the Tramp._ Once they had finished their food, they took to trying to impress each other with card tricks, the film still playing quietly in the background. “There is absolutely no way that you were able to have that card in the deck! I’ve been holding it the entire time! You cheated!” 

“Tell me, how does one ‘cheat’ in a card trick? It’s a _trick,_ there are no rules,” he smirked, “Besides, it’s an impressive trick, so even if I _did_ ‘cheat’, I still got you!”

“I think you had more then one of those cards in the pile! Now, don’t try to deny it, I caught you, you liar!” Rose looked smug when the Doctor wouldn’t meet her gaze, looking sheepish. “Yeah, I though so! Nice try, though!”

“Alright, you try a better one, Miss Clever!”

She was about to take the stack of cards from him when the film started to play “Bella Notte”. “Oh, Doctor this is my favorite part!” She snuggled in close to him, eyes fixed on the scene, watching the two dogs on their “date”.

“Really? It’s a bit cheesy if you ask me. I mean, a restaurant that serves dogs in the back ally? And then both chefs have the time to serenade them? Don’t they have a dinner rush to get too?”

“Oh, shut up, you know you love this scene.” Rose gave him a peck on the cheek. “It’s a bit romantic, and you know it.”

“Well, I suppose I wanted to focus on  _our_ romance tonight,” the Doctor stated, putting his arm around Rose. “Which reminds me, aren’t we supposed to be shagging right now?”

“Oh yeah,  _very_ romantic,” Rose teased, rolling her eyes, “I think I may want dessert first,” she winked, poking her tongue out. She got up from the couch, walking over to the kitchen. The Doctor pouted, disappointed that Rose left their cuddling. “I’m glad we picked up dessert when we got the pizza. They have the  _best_ cannolis.” She entered the room carrying a tray with two cannolis and a glass wine for each of them. “Here you are. Oh, don’t make that face, we have all night,” she stated, noticing the pout on his face, “Besides, I happen to know you love the filling, so I know you’re not  _that_ disappointed.”

He shrugged, picking up his plate. “I like you more than the filling…” he mumbled, taking a bite. His eyes lit up, “Although, this filling certainly is a close second.”

Rose laughed as she watched the doctor devour his dessert. “See? You know you love it.” She took a bite, savoring the sweet crème, making a soft moaning noise. She licked the fork clean, her eyes closed, enjoying the flavour as it danced on her tongue. She repeated this a few times before she noticed the Doctor staring. He had this dazed look on his face, his eyes dark and his lips slightly parted. She smirked, “Something wrong, Doctor?”

“Dessert can wait,” the Doctor stated in a husky voice, and in an instant he was on her. His lips found hers, kissing her desperately. His tongue ran along her lower lip, begging for entrance. She parted her lips, allowing him in, and brought her hand to his hair. Their tongues battled for dominance, his eventually winning. He explored her mouth thoroughly, savoring her taste, and breathed deeply. He broke apart for a second, “You know, the filling tastes even better when I’m tasting it like this.”

Rose pulled him against her once more, cherishing the soft plush of his lips. Slowly, she reclined in the sofa, taking the Doctor with her. A low moan escaped his mouth, and she took the opportunity to plunge her tongue in, delighting in the taste of him.

The Doctor began to place soft kisses along her jaw down to her neck, coaxing soft sighs out of her. His left hand found her breast, kneading the soft flesh, as his right hand travelled lower, cupping her sex. “Oh, Rose,” he sighed, feeling her buck up into his hand. His mouth travelled lower and began sucking on the delicate skin between her neck and collarbone.

Rose could feel him growing erect against her leg, urging her to rub her knee against him. He let out a deep growl against the nape of her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. She was soaking now. He ground against her, seeking any release he could get. “Bedroom,” she ordered, unable to find the words to form a proper sentence.  In an instant she found herself in his arms, being carried bridal style to her room. She barely registered her head hitting the pillow when the Doctor’s mouth latched on to her collarbone once more.

Rose moved her hands to the Doctors waistband, untucking his shirt. He detached his lips from her neck and began to undo the buttons on his shirt. “No, let me.” Rose undid the buttons on his shirt at an excruciating pace, taking time to place a kiss on his exposed chest after every button. When his shirt was fully removed, she ran her hands down his chest, loving the feeling of him under her fingertips. He truly was beautiful, lean and toned, with just the right amount of hair.

She moved in to place a kiss on his lips, but he turned his mouth away from hers, placing a kiss right below her ear. “Now, that’s hardly fair,” he whispered, his voice so low it made her knees weak, “You get to see me, but I don’t get to see you? We should remedy that, I think.” He pulled her shirt over her head, making sure to trail his fingers up her sides as he did so, drawing a low moan out of her. Kissing her softly, he moved his hands to unlatch her bra. He struggled for a moment before breaking apart from her lips and furrowing his brow. After a few more failed attempts at unhooking the bra, he grumbled, “Stupid humans and their complicated undergarments. Really, Rose, I don’t see why you have to wear a bra.” She rolled her eyes at him, unhooking the bra herself, letting it fall off of her. The Doctor looked as though his brain just about shut off as he gazed at her, and Rose couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, you definitely don’t need to wear a bra, I think.”

Before Rose could reply, she found herself pinned to the bed, the Doctor frantically placing kisses on her breasts. His hand found her left nipple, rolling it under his thumb and pinching it until it was firm, while his mouth was at right breast, sucking and licking everywhere but her firm peaks. She gasped in relief when his hot mouth finally came in contact with the place he most desperately needed him, threading her fingers into his hair. He continued his sucking and nipping while his right hand travelled down to her center, cupping her through her jeans. He began to unzip them as his mouth switched to her left breast, giving it the same heavenly attention as her right. His hands snaked into her jeans and felt her moisture on the outside of her lace underwear. “So wet for me, Rose,” he murmured against her breast, “You smell so good, all hormones and arousal.” He trailed kisses from her breast down her stomach. He took the delicate sighs and moans as encouragement as he pulled down her jeans and continued his feather-light pecks around her hipbones. Tossing the jeans off the bed, he lowered himself so he could lightly nip and bite her inner thighs, drawing a gasp of ecstasy from her. “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to taste you Rose,” he whispered, placing kisses to close to where she needed him most. Gently, he pulled off her knickers, tossing them to the side as he looked up to admire her full beauty. “You truly are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

“Doctor, please,” Rose whimpered, desperate for him to touch her in her most sensitive places.

Before she could make another sound, the gorgeous feeling of the Doctors hot mouth at her center drowned out all but one of her senses. It was frantic and desperate, his fingers and tongue dancing along her seam, inside her, against the bundle of nerves driving her mad. It reminded her of how he flew the TARDIS, all passion and excitement, never stopping for a moment. “Oh, God,” she moaned, raking her fingers through his hair, trying to get more pressure on the most sensitive parts of her. He seemed to understand her need, as he brought his mouth to focus on her clitoris as his fingers pressed into her, massaging just the right spot in her. His tongue lapped and swirled around her, bringing her so close to the edge, but then backing off, drawing out her pleasure for as long as he could.

“You taste divine, Rose,” he moaned against her between licks and nips, “So much better then I even imagined.”

“P-please, Doctor,” Rose whispered in a shaky voice, desperate for release, “So close.”

“Come for me, love,” the Doctor whispered, drawing circles with his tongue. A few more laps of his tongue and she shattered, screaming his name. Never in her life had she felt something quite that amazing. Her whole body felt as if it were encased in warm velvet when she came down from her high, the Doctor continuing his gorgeous motions to ease her back into reality.

“That was perfect,” she sighed, taking a moment to catch her breath. She pulled him up to her, kissing him softly.  The taste of herself on him ignited another fire in her, making her desperate to be with him fully. She could feel him hard against her, straining in the fitted trousers he wore. “Want you now.” The Doctor certainly did not need any more convincing, for as soon as the words left her mouth, his trouser and pants were in a pile on the bedroom floor. Rose marveled at the size of him.

He smirked, noticing her widened eyes. “Like what you see?”

“It’s alright,” she teased, giving a tongue-in-tooth smile.

“Alright, now you’ve done it,” he exclaimed, capturing her lips with his own. “Doing the tongue thing when I’m this turned on, Rose? Are you trying to kill me?” he asked against her mouth.  He explored her mouth with his own tongue, rubbing his cock against her thigh, desperate for some friction.

“Need you in me.” She could barely manage the words now. “Please, Doctor.”

He positioned himself at her entrance, slickening himself with the wetness at her folds. She whimpered a bit at the feeling of him against her pussy. “Hushhhh, love,” he sighed before pushing himself in fully. Rose gasped at the feel of him filling her completely. “Oh, fuckkk, Rose,’’ he moaned, “So tight.” He waited for her to adjust to the size of him for a moment. Then, he moved, and it was sheer bliss for both of them. He established a rhythm, hips colliding with hers in a frenzy. He repeated her name over and over like a prayer.

Seeking some control, Rose rolled him over onto his back so that she was on top. She held the wall for support as she rode him hard, hips bouncing at a frantic pace. He leaned up to take one of her gorgeous bouncing breasts in his hands, the other he captured in his mouth. “Fuck, Doctor,” she gasped, feeling him hit in just the right place, angling herself so he would hit with every thrust. Feeling her second orgasm coming, she increased her pace, snaking her hand between them to get friction where she so desperately needed it. A few more thrusts and she was spiraling over the edge once more, a string of nonsensical filth leaving her mouth.

The clenching of tight muscles triggered something in the Doctor as well, drawing him near his release. He flipped her over and thrust wildly into her, clamping down on her collarbone. A few more moments and he was over the edge, spilling into her. He stayed like that for a moment, still on top of her, coming down from his bliss. After a few minutes, he rolled on his side next to her, pulling her close to him. “How was it?”

“Amazing, Doctor, really.” She placed a kiss on his cheek and snuggled into him. “I love you, Doctor. I really do. I’m sorry I couldn’t say it before.” 

“The one who should be apologizing is me. It took me three years of being separated by the Void and a meta-crisis before I could say it.” They rested in silence for a moment, enjoying the feel of each other. After a while, the Doctor spoke, “I can’t believe we waited so long to do that. I can’t believe I wouldn’t let myself have this with you before. What the hell was I thinking?”

“You were busy being high-and-mighty Mr. Time Lord, didn’t want to sully yourself with silly stupid ape things like sex.” 

“Remind me to never, ever try to sexually repress myself again, because now, I can barely contain myself. Turned me into a randy ape, you did, with your seductive, feminine wiles.” 

Rose laughed as the Doctor moved in to kiss her neck. She gasped when she felt him hard again on her thigh. “How on earth…?”

“Superior half Time Lord biology. No refractory period,” he winked with a smirk, looking up from her neck. 

“You’re insatiable!” Rose laughed, loving the way his tongue danced along her neck as he continued. 

“I told you, you turned me into a randy ape!” He rolled on top of her once more, moving his lips down her body. He captured her nipple between her teeth, biting it lightly, before soothing it with his tongue. She gasped, feeling wetness pool between her thighs once more. “Up for another round?”

 


	7. Chapter 7

The Doctor and Rose had fallen asleep in each other’s arms after hours of what they would deem “strenuous physical activity”. They had made love several times, competing with one another at how many orgasms they could give each other. They tried every position they could think of, in various places throughout the bedroom. They even managed to incorporate the cannoli filing at one point, much to the Doctor’s delight. Now, however, they were both completely exhausted. The Doctor was very delighted to be the big spoon to Rose’s little, fulfilling a dream he’s had since his ninth self. In his slumber, he began to dream of travels with Rose again.

He and Rose were in the console room, flipping switches and flinging themselves through time and space. Only, it wasn’t the old TARDIS console room at all. In fact, it was the stark white of the new TARDIS, but it had color slowly seeping in, like watercolors on paper. His eyes began to focus, and he had began to notice that the controls he thought he was flipping actually weren’t there at all.

“What on earth…?” He started, but before he could finish his thought, he noticed something different about Rose as well.

She was not dressed as she usually was. She was wearing mostly white and tan fabrics, and her hair was longer as well. Her eyes glowed a soft gold. “Took you long enough to notice, my Thief,” she stated.

He was taken back by her reaction. “Can you-“

“Read your thoughts? Well, I should hope so. I’m in your head after all. Now, thief, we have pressing matters to discuss.” She watched as he opened his mouth to say something, but started “No, I’m not the pink and yellow woman. I’m sure you can see that with your own eyes, however, so I don’t see much point in you asking. And no, this isn’t a dream, Doctor. I’m in you’re head, and your head is in me.”

“I don’t understand. Who are you? Why do you look like Rose? Where am I, what have you done with her?” The Doctor interrogated.

“I think you know quite well who I am. You just tried flying me a moment ago, which is why I had to take the controls away. Really, Doctor, you could be more gentle.” She added as an aside. “And as to why I look like your Rose, this form was the closest I’ve ever had to corporeal, when the Flower became Bad Wolf, so it’s how I’m going to communicate with you.”

“What?” The Doctor gaped at her. “I tried to fly you? What are you- oh,” he cut himself off when he realized who she was, “You’re the TARDIS? My TARDIS? But how, TARDISes aren’t meant to communicate like this. This must be using massive amounts of power, power you couldn’t have yet, you’re not even fully functional.”

“It is using most of my power, which is why we must speak quickly.”

“Alright, fine. Explain to me why I’m here then.”

“He’s dying, my thief. He’s bursting with the power of a thousand suns, lonely and weary, and so very far away.”

“Then how am I still alive? I should be burning up right now. This body isn’t meant to survive without my link to him.” He was angry now. At his other self, and at this version of him. He had only just started his forever with Rose, and now he was leaving her again. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t. It wasn’t fair to her, his precious Rose, who fought through universes just to keep him from being lonely. “What about Rose? Will she just wake and find my body lying dead? After what she’s been through, is that fair?” He new it wasn’t right to yell at the TARDIS, it was beyond her control, but he just couldn’t help it.

“If you trust me, you will not have to leave your Rose lonely,” she said to him softly, her eye’s imploring him to calm down. “I will swear to you on the souls of my thousand lost sisters that I will ensure your Flower’s happiness. Do you trust me, my thief?” The Doctor nodded, although he still had the feeling of hopelessness that enthralled him. “Right. Now, my thief, the fully Time Lord one, proved his selflessness at the time of his death. He sacrificed himself for another. Not for one who was young or important, someone that all of life to look forward to, but for an old man, nearer to the end of his life than the beginning. Beyond his sacrifice, he claimed no reward other then giving his loved ones one last parting gift.

“Tonight, my thief, at the moment of his death, I will grant him his true reward, one that he would covet above all, but one he would never claim. Tonight I, that is, the me in your other universe, will sacrifice my life in order to save his, allowing him to live in the face that was loved like none before, the face that loved in return beyond that of any previous. I can absorb enough radiation to save his life. However, when I make the sacrifice, my consciousness in that universe will die, but my physical form will live on.”

“Like an empty shell? Why would you do that, you knows how dangerous it is! If the TARDIS doesn’t have an active consciousness it’ll become sporadic, it’ll materialize randomly, you won’t be able to control it. It could materialize at every point in space and time simultaneously. The effects would rip apart the universe!” The Doctor was frantic. Part of him was trying to focus on the situation, while another part was hoping this was a dream, trying to will himself awake, safe in bed with Rose.

“I’m very well aware of effects, my thief,” she stated calmly. “which is why I would very much like it if you would remain quite until I’ve finished speaking, so I may explain how to resolve this matter. Am I understood?” she asked. He nodded. “Thank you. As you know, a TARDIS consciousness is much more complex then a fully organic species. My other self and I are the same consciousness, with two physical forms. My consciousness exists in both universes, in both shells, simultaneously. However, once I make that sacrifice, my consciousness will no longer exist in that universe. The only way to restore consciousness to that TARDIS would be to take me to that universe so I may transfer myself to that console. Are you understanding me so far?”

“Yeah,” he said, “Except for the part where I have absolutely no means of bringing you to that universe. And furthermore, if I burn up tonight, I won’t even be able to figure something out!”

“Oh, did I forget to mention? This TARDIS will need will need a consciousness once I rejoin with my other console. And a TARDIS is certainly capable of maintaining a Time Lord consciousness. It’s young enough to integrate you as it’s new consciousness, as well. It won’t fight it. Once you’re integrated you’ll be able to use your psychic link with the other doctor and I will use my link with the other TARDIS and we’ll be able to navigate to the other universe. The explosion resulting from my sacrifice for the other Thief will cause a small gap between universes, just large enough to slip through. Once we’re through I’ll be able to transfer. So,” she finished, “What do you say?”

“So I become the consciousness of this TARDIS, fly back to my original universe, and then live forever, completely unable to be with Rose again, never being able to hold or kiss her again?”

“It’s your choice, my thief. You can choose for me to not make the sacrifice, allow the other Doctor to regenerate, and you will burn up and Rose will be alone, or you can chose to become this TARDIS, allow Rose her forever with the other Doctor, and know that she will eventually find happiness.”

He paused for a moment. He knew that as long as Rose was happy, he would always find happiness. He swallowed. “You swear she’ll be happy?”

“Always, my Thief.”

* * *

 

Meanwhile, a universe away, the Doctor felt himself be taken by the magnificent golden light, every piece of his identity melting away. However, just before a new man burst forth, he felt soft tendrils reach out to his mind. He gasped as he felt the warmth of the TARDIS fill his mind, comforting him.

"Rest now, you’re safe, my Thief."


	8. Chapter 8

Rose woke up to the blaring sound of her alarm. She rolled over to look at the clock. 6:30 AM. She groaned, angry at herself for not turning off the alarm for the weekend. Rolling over, she was surprised to find that the Doctor was no longer in bed.  She figured he was already in the kitchen, working on making a delicious post-sex breakfast. She was just surprised that he hadn’t stayed in bed for lazy morning sex. 

Stepping out of bed, she picked his shirt from the night before up off of the ground and wrapped herself in it. His scent lingered on the light blue fabric. She sighed contentedly as she remembered the night before. Warmth spread from her cheeks to her love bite covered neck as she recalled all of the gorgeous groans and sighs she drew from her Doctor, the way he looked at her in awe and wonder as she brought him to the edge over and over.

Snapping out of her reverie, she made her way out of her bedroom. Their bedroom, she realized, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of her sharing a bedroom with the Doctor. Smiling at the thought, she walked into the kitchen.

Well, that’s a bit rude, even for him. The Doctor may be alien, but she was sure he knew morning-after etiquette. Swanning of after sex was something she needed to remind him was _not_ acceptable in this relationship, no matter how restless he could be. 

Sighing, she pulled out her mobile and dialed his number. Immediately, she heard his ringtone come from a bag on the couch. Instantly, she hung up her phone and ran to the couch. When she opened the bag, she saw that his phone and his change of clothes for today. ‘ _So he’s still here then’_ she thought. ‘ _and completely starkers’_ she added with a blush.

Naked hide and seek. Very him.

“Doctor?” Rose called, “Doctor, this is a small flat, I’m gonna find you! You better watch that cute bum of yours!”

Rose began to search everywhere in the flat. Behind the telly, under the kitchen table, even inside the fridge, but the Doctor was nowhere to be seen.  She finally gave up and headed back to the bedroom.

“Alright, I gave up! You win. Now just come out and lemme see that-“ She stopped dead when she entered the room. Standing inside the closet was the TARDIS, fully grown, disguised like a police box. She was amazed she hadn’t noticed it before. The Doctor must have went to her mum and dad’s to get it. She just hoped to god that he packed another spare set of clothes to get it in.

She went over to her jewelry box and grabbed out her old TARDIS key, hoping that it would work. She put the key into the lock and pushed the door open. Tears filled her eyes as she saw the familiar interior. It was identical to the old TARDIS, with large coral struts and a bright green glow coming from the time rotor.

“Doctor?” She called.

Just then, an image of her Doctor appeared before her, much like the one that appeared when Emergency Program One was activated. Rose instantly began to panic.

“Hello Rose.”

“Doctor? What happened? Is this another one of the emergency messages? If it is I swear-“

“Rose, calm down. This isn’t prerecorded- and it isn’t like on the beach either, before you ask. This is really me, and I’m really talking to you right now. I need you to understand that. Can you do that for me Rose?”

“I-Doctor, just tell me what’s happening, yeah?”

“Last night, I died”

Rose felt her heart constrict in her chest. “What do you-“

“The other me, I mean,” he stated, before she could interject. “He started to regenerate, and I began to die. But the TARDIS, she saved me. Or, rather, both of them saved both of me.”

“Then why are you like this? Where are you? Physically, I mean. Where’s your body?”

“I became the TARDIS matrix, Rose. It’s using a lot of my power to speak to you like this, so I need you to try to not interrupt so I can explain. Can you do that for me, love?” Rose nodded. His voice was calm, and his features were soft, as if trying to offer her comfort. “Alright. Now, let me start from the beginning. Last night, the fully Time Lord me died. As he began to regenerate, the TARDIS- his TARDIS, that is- used her power to save him. In doing so, her consciousness died. Without the consciousness, the physical shell would die as well, which could cause massive damage to the whole of reality.

“In order to prevent that, this TARDIS, which has the same living consciousness of the other, must transfer itself into the other shell to save her. She’s in here still, locked away, ready to be transferred. However, this shell needs a living consciousness too. Now this, this is the really clever part.

“This TARDIS was able to save me, Rose. The connection between myself and the other Doctor was severed the moment he began to regenerate. I would have died last night. However, my TARDIS is so, so clever. She absorbed my consciousness, Rose. I’m in here now. And the other TARDIS matrix is tucked away safely, ready to be transferred.”

Rose looked at the projection of him, an unreadable expression on her face. She stare at him for a while, processing the information he had just given her. Finally, she spoke “So you’re the consciousness that’s keeping this TARDIS stable.”

“Yep.”

“And you have no physical body anymore, you’re _just_ a consciousness.”

“Mhm.”

“The other TARDIS, she wasn’t able to project like this and talk. How comes you can?”

“Well, my consciousness is much simpler than hers. To fold a multi-dimensional matrix into a projection like this would use massive amounts of power. Even a fully functional eye of harmony couldn’t power that. The best it could manage is psychic projection. However, I’m your basic organic-based, single dimensional consciousness. Wouldn’t be enough to stabilize the other TARDIS, but this TARDIS is much simpler. And luckily, my single dimensional, yet still frankly magnificent, consciousness is just the right level of complexity for a projection.”

Rose understood, for the most part. She was a bit numb from the shock of it all, but she needed to remain strong for him. This was a good thing. The Doctor was safe. She was in no danger of really losing him, not completely. However, the more she tried to convince herself that these changes were a good thing, the more she wanted to cry.

“Can…can you do this often?” Rose asked in a strangled voice, “Talking to me as a projection, I mean.”

The Doctor’s face fell a bit. “I’m not sure about often, Rose, but I’ll do everything I can to be with you as frequently as possible.” The look of total anguish on Rose’s face as her calm façade dissolved just about destroyed him. “I’m sorry, Rose. I’m so very, very sorry.”

Something inside Rose snapped. “We were supposed to be together!” she shouted, shaking with sobs, “You promised me! You promised me we would grow old, have a life together! “

“We will! Or, you and the other Doctor will! We have to go to the other universe and transfer the TARDIS matrix. You can have that life, be with him! I swear, when I made that promise to you, I had no idea this would happen. Please, Rose, try to understand,” the Doctor pleaded.

“No, you try to understand! He’s not the one I want! _You_ are!”

“He _is_ me! I thought you knew that, accepted that!”

“He’s not anymore!” Rose sobbed, “He hasn’t been in a long, long time. That day on the beach, you were the one who stayed with me, who told me you loved me. Not him, you. Stop acting like being with him is what’s best for me.”

“Well what other option do you have, Rose? I’m as good as dead to you now!” His face was filled with a kind of desperation Rose had never seen on him before. His eyes were glassy and filled with a kind of despair she had only ever seen in the mirror during those years alone. She felt herself soften a bit at the look, understanding finally where this pushing away was coming from.

“You don’t look very dead to me, my Doctor,” she whispered, looking deep into his eye. She reached up to place a hand on his cheek, but he turned his head away.

“Just an image, no touch,” he breathed, recalling that cold, harsh day on the beach. “That’s all I’ll ever be Rose. I can never touch you again, kiss you again. I can’t ever give you the life I promised you. He can. He will. If he sees you again, he won’t be able to hold back.”

“You daft old man,” Rose laughed, though her voice was still heavy with tears. “I don’t care about that. I want you. Only you. Forever. And if that means never touching you or kissing you again, that’s alright. I’ll go to deliver the matrix, but that’s all. I’m never going to leave you.”

The look on the Doctor’s face was a mixture of awe and adoration. He bore into her eyes, trying to find any indication that what she said to him was false, but couldn’t. “You have absolutely no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”

“Trust me, I do,” Rose replied, a small smile on her lips. “I guess we’re both going to have to make do.”

“Well,” the Doctor began, his voice back to its cheerful tone, “I don’t have a body anymore, so no more pesky hormones and physical urges anymore. You, however, are going to have a very, very hard time,” he winked. His face fell. “Oh dear. I’m running out of power for this projection, Rose. I don’t have much more time to talk. Once this TARDIS is truly finished growing, I may be able to last a bit longer, and talk more frequently. But I need you to do a few things for me in order for us to travel. Alright?” Rose nodded. “Brilliant, that’s my Rose! First thing, tell Pete, Jackie, and Tony what happened. You can’t very well cross dimensions without telling your family, can you? And second thing, pick up my sonic. You’ll need it. Understood?”

“Yes, sir!” Rose joked, saluting.

“You’re so brilliant, Rose. See you in a bit, love.”

“See ya!”


	9. Chapter 9

“You’re going where?” Jackie demanded, her brows furrowing with concern.

“To the other universe. The old one. The other Doctor and the TARDIS need me,” Rose explained for the third time to her incredulous parents.

“And how do you suppose you’re going to do that? You can’t go back there, love. The Doctor said, he explained about the walls closing off!” Jackie paced the floor of the Tyler’s kitchen, her face twisted in confusion and shock, similar to her expression from so many years ago, when Rose first announced her plans to jump between dimensions. “And where is himself, anyway? Why couldn’t he tell us?”

“I already told you mum, he’s in the TARDIS, back at home, making plans,” Rose lied. There was no reason for Jackie to know the full truth of the matter, that the Doctor’s consciousness was pulled into the TARDIS and he’s never have a true corporeal form again, she was far too frantic. She didn’t need the Doctor’s physical death added to her panic. As far as her mum was concerned, Rose and the Doctor were just headed on a quick trip between universes, just popping in for a visit.

“Rose, love,” piped up Pete, “It would help us to know the exact plan. It would be nice to here it from the pilot.”

“I’m telling you the full plan!” Rose felt her chest become constricted and her head began to spin. She didn’t need another layer of frustration from her parents on top of the day she was having. “We’re going to the other universe, visiting the Doctor, and coming home, and that’s the _end of it!”_ she snapped.

“Don’t raise your voice at your father!” Jackie retorted, her jaw set.

“Sorry!” Rose shouted. She paused, and took a deep breathe, looking at her parents. “I’m sorry…” she repeated, “S’pose I’m just nervous, about seeing the other Doctor, yeah? But I’ll be alright. We’ll be alright, me and him. We always are. And we’ll be back soon. S’just a normal trip in the TARDIS. I’ll be back before you know it. It’s a Time Machine, remember?” She smile weakly at the two of them.

“Just…” Jackie began, her features softening, “Just promise me you’ll be alright. Now getting yourself killed or turned into stone or abducted by space chimps or anything.”

Rose chuckled humorlessly. “Promise we’ll avoid any and all alien primates. Love you, mum.” She leaned in and gave her mum a squeeze.

“I suppose you can’t call us while you’re there?” questioned Pete, pulling his daughter and wife into his arms.

“Nah, suppose I can’t. Was never able to call Mickey when he was here on his own.” Rose stayed in her father and mother’s embrace for a moment, before pulling away. “I love you both. Don’t miss me too much,” she added with a smile.

“We love you too, Rose.”  Replied her dad, placing a kiss on her forehead.

“I love you, sweatheart.”

“Alright,” Rose declared, gathering her resolve, “I’m gonna go find Tony and say goodbye. Then I’ll be off.”

“Take care, sweatheart.”

“Thanks, mum. Bye, dad.”

“Bye, love.”

She made her way towards Tony’s room, putting on a brave face for her brother.

“Tony, sweatheart,” Rose called.

“Hello, Rosie!” He ran towards her and flung her arms around her legs, snuggling her knees.

“Hello.” She smiled down at him. Kneeling, she thought of something to tell him.

“Wanna play spiderman?” Asked the bright eyed, smiling toddler. “Where’s the Doctor? He can be the Green Goblin.”

Rose felt a lump in her throat. She hadn’t even considered her brother. How would she explain why the Doctor could never play with him again? Could never take him to all of the planets and cities he promised too. She felt her eyes fill with tears, but swallowed and pushed forward for her brothers sake.

“The Doctor’s in the TARDIS, Tony,” she whispered kindly. “It’s ready to go, now. Him and I, we’re going to go on a trip. And-“ she cut herself off, unable to think of how to finish. And what? And you’re never going to see him again, tough luck kid? And he’s now a program in a mainframe, but don’t worry, you can still talk to him occasionally, but only in the TARDIS? This little boy didn’t deserve that kind of heartbreak.

The looked at him, eyes wide and twinkling, and she knew exactly what to say to him. “And when we get back, you pack your bags, kiddo, cause you’re going to see it all. New Earth, Woman Wept, Ancient Rome, the 1950s, all of it!”

Tony’s eyes lit up, and he began to bounce up and down. “You mean it Rosie?”  Rose nodded her head, smiling fondly at her brother. The boy ran to his dresser. “How much underwear will I need? Is there loos on the TARDIS? Will I have to sleep on the floor? Is mummy and daddy gonna come too? What about doggy Rosie? Can she come?” Rose only laughed at the enthusiasm of the boy. Walking over to him, she scooped him up in her arms and hugged him close.

“Woah, slow down Tony! I’ll answer any time travel questions of yours when I get back, yeah?” The boy nodded. “Very good! In the meantime, you be a very good boy and be nice to other children and listen to mummy and daddy, okay? Because only nice boys are aloud on the TARDIS.”

“The Doctor isn’t nice to mummy!” Tony countered, and Rose giggled.

“I guess you’re right about that, Tony! But you’ve got to promise me, or mummy and daddy might not let you on the TARDIS. Okay?”

“Okay, I promise,” said Tony, making a cross over his heart.

“Well done.” Rose placed a kiss on his cheek. “I love you very, very much, Tony. I’ll see you soon.”

“See you, Rosie!” He replied as she put him back down. Giving him one last wave, she stepped out of the room.

So that was that. When she got to the other universe, she and her Doctor and the other Doctor were going to find a way to bring her Doctor back, if not for her, than for her little brother. And everything was going to be fine.

When she arrived back at the TARDIS, she pushed the door open, resolving that she wasn’t going to tell her plan to the Doctor right away. She didn’t need an argument with him right now.

Walking over to console, she looked at the buttons and nobs, not exactly sure how to go about calling the Doctor.

“Um, Doctor?” She began. “Are you...You there? S’me, Rose?”

“Hello Rose!” came an enthusiastic voice, and Rose jumped.

“Doctor, you startled me!” she exclaimed, turning to face the hologram behind her.

“How’d I startle you, you called for me?”

“Just…You did.” Rose started to walk around the console of the glowing control room. “So, how exactly _are_ we going to get back to the other universe?”

“We’ve got a Time Machine, Rose! I _am_ a Time Machine, Rose!” he mused, “Wow, isn’t that just brilliant, I’m a Time Machine!”

“Doctor, that’s exactly it, you’re a _Time_ Machine. Not a travel-through-dimensions machine.”

“Ah, but if we can go back in time, we can find ourselves a Travel-Through-Dimensions Machine and weakened walls between the universe,” he explained, his signature grin on his face. “A very brilliant Travel-Through-Dimensions Machine, might I add, made and tested by a very brilliant woman.”

“We’re going to use the dimension cannon?” Rose asked incredulously.

“Well, sort of. It’s perfectly safe, well built, and a rather clever method of inter-dimensional travel, to boot! The regeneration will cause a hole in the universes, we can use the cannon to slip through!”

“Alright, I trust you. Now, how do I fly this thing?”

“Ah, now that’ll be he fun part, Rose! First, I’m going to need you too…”

The TARDIS began to materialize with a groan. Inside, Rose and the Doctor were whooping and laughing, proud of Rose’s successful solo flight of the TARDIS.

“Did you help me? Come on, be honest, were you flying?”

“Nope!” the Doctor cheered, popping the p. “That was all you. My brilliant, brilliant Rose. You may be a bit jeopardy friendly, but you can sure follow directions when it counts!” He teased.

“Oi! I’ve always been a very well behaved companion,” Rose said, putting on her best stony face. It took approximately three seconds for her and the Doctor to burst out laughing.

“Right, Rose. And I’m a Bvrndmekzkrian Flkphngzr-fish!”

Rose giggled. “So what is it I’ve got to do now?”

“Well, first, check your date and location on the monitor. Can’t risk younger you seeing the TARDIS,” he explained.

“Right, good point.” Rose looked at the monitor. Noticing the circles and lines, she wasn’t exactly sure what to do. “Wouldya mind translating, Doctor? Not exactly fluent in Gallifreyan, am I?”

“Whoops, no problem.”

“Ok, now it’s in Swedish.”

“Really?” Rose nodded. “Are you sure?”

“Yes Doctor. Unless ‘Onsdag’ and “Kläd’ are common words in English in this universe.”

“Oh, sorry. Lemme just…” The monitor switched to English.

“Alright. We’re in a closet inside Torchwood, it seems. Wednesday, 12 August 2010. Perfect, right at the height of the Dimension Cannon Project. What’s the plan?”

“First things first, have you got your sonic?” the Doctor inquired.

“Yep!”

“Very good. Now, I need you to sneak into the lab and take six of the hoppers.”

“Oh, I can’t do that!” Rose announced. “August 2010 we only had four hoppers!”

“Four!” the Doctor demanded, “Why?”

“Well, we did have ten. But sometime around the middle of the month six disappeared. It was a security nightmare!” The Doctor looked at her for a moment., waiting for her to realize what she just said. “OH! I love it when time travel works out!”

Rose snuck around the Torchwood labs. Well, not snuck, so much as walked around as she normally did. No one questioned her being there. The past her was locked up in her office, as she usually was on bad days. Probably crying. ‘ _Poor_ _thing,’_ Rose thought, _‘If only she knew_.’ Still, no one knew that the current her wasn’t the past her and the past her was having a break down.

She spotted the hoppers over by the cannon mainframe. There were far too many people around for her to take them just yet, though. She would have to wait for nightfall to take them. She figured she should just go back to the TARDIS and wait.

Turning a corner out of the lab, she spotted none other than Mickey Smith.

“Hey babe, how you feeling?” Mickey asked, putting an arm around her.

_‘Oh shit!’_ Rose thought. _‘How do I get out of this?’_

_“Tell the truth,”_ She heard a small voice in her mind, similar to the singing she heard as Bad Wolf.

_‘Are you mad? Am_ I _mad?’_ Rose thought incredulously.

_“Perhaps. But nevertheless, the truth is a good way to go,”_ The voice replied.

_‘This is absolutely mental, this can’t be-‘_

“Hello, earth to Rose?” Mickey asked, looking at her blank expression.

“Sorry, I just-“ She looked up at him. God, she missed him. He was always her best mate, someone she could trust. It really hurt when he didn’t come back to this universe with her. Than it hit her.

She knew exactly why he left.

“Mickey, I need you to trust me, alright?”

“You know I always will, babe. Why, something wrong?” His face flooded with concern. “Is someone threatening you?” He suddenly became fierce and protective.

“No, no, nothing like that. S’just, I’m not your Rose. I’m a future version.” Mickey’s eyes went wide. “Your Rose is in her office right now.”

Suddenly Mickey’s eyes became suspicious. “Yeah? Prove it.” He grabbed her wrist a bit tight. “How do I know you’re not some shape-shifting alien?”

“I’ve…I’ve found the Doctor, and I’ve got the TARDIS upstairs in a closet. Come with me and I’ll show you.”

Mickey narrowed his eyes at her. “Fine. But first.” He pulled his gun out of his holster and loaded it. “Sorry, Rose. Can’t be too sure, gotta stay safe.”

They made their way through the halls of Torchwood without so much as a word, trying to avoid the glances of the other employees. Rose rounded another corner and arrived at the closet. Opening it, she saw Mickeys eyes widen as he saw the ship.

Dropping the gun, he flung his arms around Rose and hugged her tight. “I’m so happy for you, babe. I knew you’d find him,” he whispered, nuzzling in to her. “So, where’s the Doctor?”

Her face fell a bit. Slowly, she began to recount her tale, from the very beginning.

“Well, it’s a long story. First things first, the stars were going out…” 


End file.
